Pokémon Radiant Sun
Lot of interesting feedback from last chapter. Things will only get more interesting as things progress.
For those wondering, obviously Gladion didn't explain everything to Demi last chapter. One, because he doesn't know the full story himself. Two, he doesn't fully trust her. And three, talking about the past is painful, as you saw with Sun. That said, it'll definitely be interesting to see where their newfound partnership goes from here, especially since Demi is still loyal to both her friends and to Team Skull.
I'd also like to bring up a bit of feedback I got in regards to Colress. See, I've decided to flesh out Colress a bit more and give him a main character slot in this story because he has ridiculous amounts of potential. He can make awesome inventions, he's just a cool character in general, and he's a skilled Trainer. Also, have you seen the guy in USUM? He's awesome!
That said, the concern that Colress is turning into a Mary Sue is a valid one, thanks to some of the inventions he's come up with, the latest being a device that allows Tapu Lele to disguise itself as a human. I do have a response to this, though.
Just because Colress' invention can do something incredible, doesn't mean its all that hard and ground-breaking. For example, the human disguise Tapu Lele is using relies mostly on the Guardian Deity's own psychic powers to function and keep the illusion looking real. Think of it as a hologram surrounding it, that can be disrupted with an attack similar to Zoroa and Zoroark's Illusion Ability, with Tapu Lele using its powers to simulate picking up objects and manipulating the world around it like a normal person.
Also, on another note...Is there any real limit to what Colress can't do? I ask that seriously, because the games are the ones responsible for making Colress as awesome as he is. He's capable of becoming invisible, making Pokémon lose control of themselves, harnessing the power of a legendary ancient dragon into a weapon, separating legendary alien Pokémon from another dimension, and correcting whatever the hell was going on during the Rainbow Rocket episode (the particulars escape me right now). Oh, and casually sending Ghetsis back to his dimension.
Colress is literally the most interesting man in the world. I don't think there's a single thing I could do to Colress to make him any more awesome, and nothing I've had him do in the story doesn't seem the least bit plausible to me. But I will be dialing back the absurdity of his inventions for a while, mainly because I'm running out of ideas for them at the moment. Anyway, I hope this helped make things a bit clearer.
For those who wonder if USUM have had some influences on the story, here's a nice big influence to help answer that question decisively. Just not in the way you'd expect.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes MoonlightButterfree, Anasazi Darkmoon, Cottonmouth25, Sai Og Sus, SonicIKE, Angelfir3, operettaoceanic, OmegaStar327, BraviaryScout, Okamiden14, skyguys05, Gokan123, JasperCFZ, Ways, as well as a new reviewer known as KyubiMaster9 (your name does sound familiar though). Thanks for the feedback and support!
Enjoy!
Chapter 64: Meeting of the Masterminds
The disguised Cipher Grunt awaited the response from the Admin on the other end of the line, and was surprised by the light chuckle he recieved.
"Interesting...Very interesting. As much as I'd love to pursue this newest development, we'd be stupid to get distracted by it now. Especially with Operation: Kingslayer happening so soon in Kanto and needing all personal on standby for it. So...We'll make note of this and prepare a team for extracting the boy in a few days. He's not going anywhere, so there's no rush or need to cause a fuss. Was there anything you could discern from your observation?" the Admin asked the Grunt, who replied swiftly.
"It looked like he was traveling with a boy his own age. The Prince may be undergoing Alola's Island Challenge, if that pendant on his backpack means what you said it did, sir. Your assessment in him staying around for a while seems likely." The Grunt replied, a small sigh coming from the Admin.
"Good. Continue your work in hunting down the Tapu of this island. It has to be here somewhere. Worst case scenario, we'll capture the Kahuna and force her to talk. My patience for my former home is wearing thin." The Admin said with an annoyed tinge to his voice, cutting the line right then and there. The Cipher Grunt sighed and continued down the way, wondering just what the other man had in mind for the Tapu, the Kahuna, and the child who had eluded the grasp of his father for far too long.
"I'm so excited! You think she'll really make time for this?"
"Lillie, of course she will. Trust me, she's really nice and not stuck-up like some celebrities are."
Aria and Lillie were sitting in front of one of the video phones inside of the Dimensional Research Lab, with Aria sitting in front of the camera and Lillie sitting next to her. Aria was going to introduce Lillie to the lead singer of her favorite band, Crimson Dawn, who happened to be a good friend of Aria's. Lillie felt a little bad taking up the time of someone she admired, especially considering the time difference between Alola and Kanto meant that it was early in the morning there, but Aria was adamant it was fine.
"So, what's she like?" Lillie asked Aria.
"Shy, at first. Awkward too, socially, though you'd never know it looking at her. Once she warms up to people and gets more comfortable, she can be really friendly. Wes dated her for a while, you know." Aria remarked, with Lillie gasping in surprise.
"Really? That's...how have I not heard of that?" Lillie asked, frowning. After she had hopped on the Crimson Dawn bandwagon, she had researched the group thoroughly. The lead singer of her new favorite band dating a hero like Wes should have been something she knew.
"They kept their relationship on the down low, since Wes was constantly dealing with Cipher's shit. She was in Unova because of personal reasons and on break from touring, so once she crossed our path, we became good friends with her. Well, I did once I stopped being jealous of the fact that Wes was smitten with her... and that she and him had the relationship I had wanted from him." Aria said awkwardly, rubbing her arm.
"Oh, um...That's too bad." Lillie said quietly, looking away.
"I got over it. We're friends, now. And besides, now that me and Hugh are dating I can forget all of the awkwardness and move on." Aria said with a grin before the computer started beeping, showing that someone was trying to contact them. Aria reached forward and tapped the button on the device, turning on the camera and allowing them to see the person trying to contact them.
On their screen was a strikingly pretty woman with short black hair, red highlights streaking through it. She wore a pair of silver glasses over her gentle brown eyes, and the rest of her face delicate and otherwise beautiful. What stuck out to Lillie was how young this woman looked. Even though Lillie knew Zoey Cairdelly was in her late twenties, she looked only a few years older than herself.
"Hey Aria. Hooooow's it going?" Zoey yawned, waving tiredly at the two girls on the other end of the camera. Lillie felt her nerves multiply tenfold, and nearly fell off the chair in an attempt to flee from the camera, but Aria held her in place.
"Pretty good. You look exhausted though. Late night?" Aria joked, with Zoey smiling dryly at that.
"Ha ha. You try getting interrogated by International Police until 1 AM and then wake up to talk with a fan from halfway across the globe. Not that I mind, but another few hours of sleep wouldn't have gone amiss." Zoey yawned again, shutting her eyes and rubbing her face. "Sorry, sorry. So, is this the girl you talked about? She's adorable, Aria!"
"Yep. She's a sweetheart too. Lillie, this is Zoey. Zoey, this is Lillie." Aria said to her friend, who broke out into a grin.
"Lillie...Got it. I'll commit it to memory." Zoey said quietly, still smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lillie. How's your day going?"
"G-good, Miss Zoey-"
"Just Zoey, please. I'm going to have my fans act so proper around me. Talk to me just like you would to Aria." Zoey said kindly to Lillie, who smiled a little and nodded, her excitement bubbling forward now.
"I'm doing very well! I'm spending some time with Professor Burnet and Aria before we go out to dinner tonight!" Lillie said happily, though she yelped as Nebby suddenly flew into her arms with a cry. "Oh, and this is Nebby. Nebby, say hello to Zoey."
"Pew pew!" the Cosmog cooed, waving its appendages.
"You two are like, the most adorable things I've ever seen." Zoey laughed softly, leaning back in her chair. Aria was surprised to see the girl was dressed like she would be for a battle, rather than her elegant dresses of red and black.
"Hey Zoey, is something up? You just woke up, right? Did you sleep in that?" Aria asked her friend, who shrugged.
"Yeah. Like I said, I got questioned by the International Police last night. They're preparing for the another attack in Kanto, and since it's my show that's the target, we're working hard to make sure Cipher can't do a thing." Zoey explained, with Lillie's eyes widening.
"They're...Cipher is going to attack again? After what they did to Celadon City?" Lillie whispered, her hands going to her heart. What would Sun say if he found out?
"Wait, there's going to be another attack?" Aria asked, leaning towards the camera with a worried expression. Zoey nodded, sighing softly.
"Apparently Cipher's been making more waves in places they shouldn't be. Lt. Surge had his son kidnapped by Amber and was told to meet with Cipher at the Kanto Superdome the night of my next concert." Zoey replied, grimacing. Aria frowned worriedly, with Lillie looking up at the Snagger.
"Obviously they're targeting your concert because you're famous, and especially because you helped us fight them back in Unova. What's the League planning on doing about it?" Aria asked, crossing her arms.
"As of now, nothing concrete from what Lt. Surge told me. Poor guy is going to anyone he can for help, so I've been trying to keep him involved in the plans." Zoey responded tiredly, leaning forward.
"What about Lance?" Aria asked, crossing her arms.
"Lance is under a lot of pressure right now, especially since Lorelei vanished from her home in the Sevii Islands. As famous as she is, it's got people scared." Zoey explained to the other two girls, adding, "Plus, Brock's Gym in Pewter City was attacked not even two days ago. He managed to drive them off, but he got stabbed in the process by some Cipher goon. He's back on his feet with extra security protecting the Gym, but we all know that won't stop Cipher if they really wanted to take him down."
"What's the status of Amber? Has she been active at all?" Aria asked the singer, who smirked.
"According to Lt. Surge, she was badly injured during their raid of his Gym. Considering how much blood he said that woman lost, I would be shocked if she could even stand right now. But she's not dead, sadly." Zoey responded with a shrug, though Aria sighed in response.
"Right. What about Borlath?" Aria asked. Zoey's face darkened and Lillie could see the anger flash in the singer's eyes at the mention of the man.
"No word on that bastard. He's laying low, but he's definitely active. Probably playing puppet-master, like he always is. A lot of the Admins, save for Amber, have been staying out of things. I'm not sure though, since the International Police haven't been keen on keeping me informed anymore. I only know what I know because of Agent Quill." Zoey said to Aria, smiling after a moment. "Which reminds me, the International Police and the League are setting up a trap to get Cipher when they attack, even though Cipher is of course expecting this. And the International Police want you to come to Kanto to help deal with this attack. They think having a Snagger on hand when Cipher comes will help even the odds."
Aria scowled at that. "Just because I have the Snag Machine doesn't mean I'm going to drop whatever I'm doing and fly across the world to fight Cipher on my own. I'm not Wes."
"I know that and you know that, but the people running the show are stupid and don't get that. That said, they're going to have their operatives in Alola ask you. Agent Quill was nice enough to let me know in advance, since he doesn't approve of their tactics of getting your help." Zoey explained as she began to fix her hair.
"Agent Quill?" Lillie asked, confused.
"One of the more helpful members of the group. Actually gives a damn about the people he's protecting. And basically, every member of the International Police has a call-sign, sort of like how every Admin in Cipher has a code-name. They rarely use their real names, for the sake of anonymity." Aria explained to the little girl, who slowly nodded in understanding.
"They also started using masks to hide their faces when they know cameras are going to be around." Zoey chimed in, smirking a little. "It's silly though, since anyone who's dealt with them knows who is who."
"Yeah, but then again, those idiots don't need an excuse to be dramatic." Aria muttered, shaking her head.
"Alright, I think we've had enough talk of this dark stuff! So tell me about yourself, Lillie! What's your favorite song?" Zoey said with a smile, which made Lillie smile in turn. Aria, however, frowned and stepped away, deep in thought.
Was it time? She hadn't done much in her newfound role as the bearer of the Snag Machine. That mostly boiled down to Cipher's only recently discovered activity in Alola be minimal at best. They had a base somewhere on the next island, and a small amount of personnel present and that was it. They couldn't afford to do too much yet.
The rest was down to her still recovering from her nearly being ripped apart by the Passage of Time during her nightmarish journey to the future. Despite all of this, was it really time for her to step up to the plate and stand against Cipher in a more direct fashion? Could she really fill Wes' shoes and help stop the criminals that had caused so much destruction and pain?
Aria looked down at Lillie, who was talking to her favorite singer and leaning on the edge of her seat. Her green eyes were practically gleaming with happiness as she chattered excitedly with Zoey about how her latest song made her feel a little more brave when she listened to it, and Aria couldn't help the small smile that flickered across her face.
"Yes. Yes, I'm ready. I have to be. Regardless of me not being at my best, I've got to make a stand. If we can catch Cipher off-guard, we can maybe end this once and for all. And I'll be damned if I let them kill another friend while I'm still able to do something about it. I've got to remember what we're fighting for." Aria thought as she looked down at the machine encasing her arm, flexing her hand and clenching her fist after a moment.
She was determined. And that would see her through to the end.
"So Rotom, I've got a question."
"Go for it, Sun. Zzt!"
"When Aria lied at Lillie's birthday party to Sina and Dexio about the fake vision she had, why didn't you call her out on that?"
"Well, how else were those two going to admit their feelingzz for each other? I wanted to see where Aria was going with all of that first before yelling at her. Needless to say, I made a decision to stay quiet. And it wazz a good decision too. Love prevails! Now all we have to do is have the same happen for you and Lillie and-"
"Enough! I get it. You're the love doctor or whatever. Let's just...keep walking in silence."
"Zzzt...You asked."
Hau and Sun made good time through the cave, though considering they were walking down a narrow passage for about twenty minutes with no letup, that wasn't saying much. However, they did spot several people of interest ahead of them. Namely Olivia and two people dressed in white uniforms. Olivia spotted Sun and Hau approaching and turned around to greet them, with the white uniform-wearing people walking off as the two children came close.
"Hmm? Sun and Hau, wasn't it?" Olivia said with a small smile, eyeing the two children.
"Yes ma'am. What brings you to Diglett's Tunnel?" Sun asked Olivia, who chuckled.
"This and that. This cave really is something, y'know?" Olivia remarked as she eyed the surrounding tunnels that had been carved throughout the cave. "It's overflowing with these Pokémon called Diglett and they are getting really out of hand. Mediocre Trainers can't even get through!"
"Sounds like a real bother." Hau remarked, frowning a bit as he put his hands behind his head.
"You're telling me. So, how's your Island Challenge going? Let me see which crystals you two have gathered." Olivia asked the two boys, who showed her the gems that they had received from Lana, Kiawe, and Mallow respectively. Olivia nodded in approval as the boys put away their gems where they belonged.
"Ooh, look at you two working hard! Nice work! I see you two have even passed Mallow's Trial. It's about time you boys had some fun with me!" Olivia said with a wide grin, though her smile faded and she blinked twice. "As in a Pokémon Battle. Not in any other way."
"Zzzt. Nice save." Rotom Dex remarked from atop Sun's face.
"Right. Anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing you two showing me your skills. And since it seems the Diglett have calmed down, we can all begin progressing once more." Olivia said to them, glancing down the tunnel. "If you boys are as strong as you appear, you should be able to make it through this cave. At the end of it, you'll find Konikoni City. That's where my shop is. I'll see you there!"
"Plus that's where Lana and Mallow live. Which...reminds me. Miss Olivia, have you seen Mallow recently?" Hau asked the Kahuna, who frowned. "She hasn't been answering her phone and Lana hasn't seen her since the other night at Lillie's birthday party."
"No, I haven't. I'll look into this, and see what's wrong. Do you know what may have caused this?" Olivia asked the two boys, who exchanged a brief glance.
"Hau dared Mallow to make out with Lana during a game of Truth or Dare-"
"That'll do it. Those games are absolutely terrible. Last time I played, I had to get drunk and...Well, you boys are too young to hear about that." Olivia said, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. "But I think I understand the picture. Mallow got embarrassed and stormed off, correct?"
"Yep. She seemed really upset, but none of us knows why." Sun said with a small shrug, though Hau shook his head.
"Maybe it's because she kissed a girl and she liked it-"
"Hau, I swear to Arceus…"
"Fine…~the taste of her Cheri chap-stick~." Hau sang under his breath, earning a kick in the shin from Sun while Olivia and Rotom Dex giggled .
"You two are adorable. I'll see what I can do to sort out the problem with Mallow. I'll see you both later at my shop." Olivia said before she sauntered off, leaving Sun glaring at Hau.
"You're awful."
"I get it from my Dad. Who got it from his Dad!"
"...Right. Well, let's keep moving." Sun said, deciding on a whim to call out his team. Hau did the same, picking up Kaha in his arms and cuddling the baby Eevee for a moment before walking alongside Sun through the cave.
Hau took the lead, using the trek as a good way to train his team and finally begin work on levelling up Kaha. Hau would let the Eevee down whenever any wild Pokémon appeared in front of them before ordering Duke or Cassy, his Pikachu and Brionne respectively, to dish out damage and knock out the offending Pokémon.
Things progressed in this manner for a while. Brago, Oliver and Penny jumped in from time to time and battled wild Pokémon they came across, but for the most part Hau took charge and trained his team to make up for lost time. After all, he didn't train his team nearly as often as Sun did.
At one point, though, Sun found a series of boulders beside a metal staircase blocking a part of a tunnel. After some debate with Hau, Sun called a Ride Tauros to their location and destroyed the boulders with the Bull Pokémon's help. Sun traveled the nearly-cleared path and found a Fire Stone at the end of it, gleaming in the dim light of the tunnel and showing off a burning flame within the Evolution Stone. Sun walked back to Hau and showed the stone to him, smiling somewhat.
"Whoa. Fire Stone. Dude, you know what? We both have a Pokémon that can evolve from that!" Hau said excitedly, picking up Kaha off of the ground and hugging the little Pokémon, who cried out happily. Brago nodded in affirmation, sitting down on the ground.
"He's right. I can feel something within me when I gaze at that stone." Brago noted quietly, staring at the Fire Stone in Sun's hands.
"Growlithe evolves into Arcanine, right?" Sun asked Hau, who shrugged. Rotom buzzed from atop Sun's head, floating in front of him.
"Zzzt! That's a yes there, buddy! Growlithe evolves into Arcanine upon being touched with a Fire Stone! And for Hau, Eevee evolves into Flareon when a Fire Stone is applied to it." Rotom said to the two boys, who both grinned. Sun looked down at Brago, holding out the stone to the canine.
"Hey Brago, as awesome as it would be to evolve you right now for the battle with Olivia, I'm going to leave the decision up to you. Do you want to evolve right now?" Sun asked the canine as he knelt down to Brago. The Growlithe shut his eyes and thought about it, his tail wagging slowly behind him being the only thing that betrayed his excitement at the thought of evolution.
Finally…
"No. Not yet." Brago said firmly, looking up at a surprised Sun. "I feel there is more I can do to grow in this form. However, there will come a time soon when I will be ready to evolve and achieve my true form!"
"Alright. Just let me know whenever you're ready. Okay?" Sun said to the dog, reaching forward and scratching his head. Brago smiled at that, unable to help how good it felt to have his head scratched. With that, the group continued on their trek through the cave, fending off a few more Diglett and Zubat. After about another hour, Sun and Hau spotted two older Trainers dressed in white uniforms. Hau spoke up as the two boys drew closer to them.
"Oh hey, it's those people we saw earlier." Hau remarked, eyeing the people ahead of them, who were speaking loud enough for their words to echo back to them in the cave.
"Phew! With Olivia in charge, we've finally managed to make some headway against those Diglett." The female of the two workers in white said, wiping her brow. The male spotted the two boys and smiled, stepping forward and doing the traditional Alola greeting.
"Oh! Alola!" The man greeted them, grinning at the two children. "We're members of the Aether Foundation. We work to support Pokémon conversation. We're here trying to assist in a problem the locals have been having in this cave regarding the Alolan Diglett residing here. It seems like Team Skull was responsible for the Diglett in this cave getting so riled up and bringing them all up to the surface."
"Team Skull?" Hau questioned, a rare scowl coming to his face.
The female sighed angrily, putting a hand to her forehead. "Oh, Team Skull is this group of troublemakers, you see…They seem to delight in interfering with Trainers and their Pokémon."
"Yep. And they love messing with wild Pokémon too. Diglett normally live in elaborate systems of underground tunnels that take years to dig out. We're here to ensure that they return to their tunnels and let people pass through here without having to fight so many Pokémon."
"Some of the Diglett are still stuck on or near the surface, though, so be careful!" the female warned, a note of concern in her voice. The two Aether Foundation employees walked off down the tunnel, leaving Hau and Sun alone.
"Interesting. Why would Team Skull need to mess with a bunch of Diglett?" Sun wondered aloud, with Hau shrugging.
"Because they're awful people? It's a no-brainer, Sun. Let's just keep moving!" Hau said as he walked ahead of them, with Sun sighing and walking behind him. Oliver and Penny flapped up to Sun and looked at him worriedly, with Brago looking up at his Alpha with concern. They could sense how unhappy their Trainer was when left to his own devices, not distracted by battles or his friends.
"Alpha...Is there something wrong?" Brago asked quietly, with Sun looking down at the canine in surprise. Sun realized that his own team knew next to nothing about his depression and his worries regarding Cipher.
"No, course of not." Sun said immediately, with the canine growling in reply.
"Do not lie to me, Alpha. You are unwell. I can almost feel your sorrow from here." Brago said to the boy, who looked away from Brago.
"No...I'm not alright. I'm sorry, Brago. I just don't want people to worry about me. I'll be fine. I just have to figure this out." Sun said quietly, looking down at the ground. Sun was surprised when two balls of feathers flung themselves at Sun, and realized after a moment that Penny and Oliver were both doing their best to hug him. Even Brago pressed himself against Sun, sending warmth through Sun's leg.
"We're supporting you, no matter what, Sun." Oliver said quietly, flapping away from his Trainer. "And we'll make short work of this Kahuna too!"
"That's an opinion. Still, you are not alone, Trainer. Regardless of what stands in the way or your happiness, we are there for you." Penny said as she swooped past them, though she was surprised to see Sun smiling sadly at the bird and fighting back tears. The boy wiped his eyes, sighing softly.
"I don't deserve a team like you all. Thank you…" Sun said quietly, a small smile on his face. He and his team quickly caught up with Hau, who looked at Sun questioningly. Sun smiled at his friend, receiving a grin and a thumbs up in response from Hau.
Sun and Hau continued to make their way through the cave, beating a few Trainers here and there and finding a few items along the way. Sun also found a Zygarde Cell, which he absorbed. After a total of four hours, they saw the cave begin to lighten up somewhat, which they took to mean they were nearly out of the tunnel. The boys quickened their pace, though they stopped when they heard a frantic yell.
"H-hey, back off!"
Hau and Sun exchanged a glance and quickened their pace, only to find an unsurprising sight. Team Skull standing in front of a girl who was clutching a Poké Ball in her hands with a scowl on her face.
"You creeps can't take a hint! This is my Pokémon! Go catch some Diglett if you want some more!" the girl shouted at Team Skull, who both put their hands on their hips.
"No way, yo. Ain't happening like that, you feel me?" the female said, her voice thick with venom. "You got beat, fair and square. We'd have hightailed it out of here with your little friend if it wasn't for those Diglett creeping up on our style and making a mess of things!"
"Ugh, who even are you creeps!?" the girl asked, taking another step back. She then spotted Sun and Hau and waved frantically to them. "Hey guys! Some help, please?"
"With pleasure. It's always fun to take these jerks down a peg or ten." Hau said as he jogged over to the girl, with Sun right behind him. Both Sun and Hau stood in front of the girl, with Brago growling at Team Skull while the two gangsters took a step back in surprise before taking two steps forward.
"Ahh, no way…Always got some fools trying to play the hero, man." The male Team Skull Grunt sighed, throwing his hands apart and redirecting his annoyance at Sun and Hau. "Just when things were startin' to heat up, up, I got surrounded by Diglett and beat up, yo! "
"Ha! Noob!" Hau laughed, grinning at the other teen who shook his head, shrugging.
"Yo, and since when can Diglett use Beat Up!?" the Grunt yelled, still throwing his arms apart like he was trying to swat an invisible fly. "I'm so mad that now I want to beat up on some fools."
"Bring it." Sun replied, stepping forward and holding out a hand. "Brago, you ready?"
"Always!" the Growlithe replied, crouching low and baring his teeth. To their credit, Team Skull wasn't deterred. The male bowed himself up and drew out a Poké Ball, tossing it up and down for a moment.
"Don't be mad 'cause you were the fool who was dumb enough to be here right now." The Team Skull Grunt said, stepping forward with a hidden scowl.
"Sun! If you think I'm going to let you get to play with Team Skull without me, you're wrong buddy!" Hau said with a grin, placing Kaha on his head and stepping forward.
"You guys be careful. These thugs are stubborn!" the girl behind them called. Sun noticed that she had the oddest accent to her voice, which made him realize this girl wasn't from Alola at all.
"What's your name, anyway?" Sun asked the girl, who blinked after a moment.
"Jen. Uh, nice to meet you. Thanks again for the help!" Jen said with a small smile, pointing ahead of them. "Now thrash those dorks! They've been chasing me around these tunnels all afternoon! Seriously, no means no!"
The male Team Skull Grunt laughed, shaking his head. "Ain't my fault I wanted some of dat ass. Ah well. I'll settle for taking all of your Pokémon and bailing from this dingy cave. And you!" The Grunt pointed at Hau. "You want some? That's how we say hello! Nice knowing you, punks!"
"Duke, show these fools who's boss!" Hau said, pointing his Pikachu forward with a grin. Duke joined Brago on the battlefield while the female Team Skull Grunt sent out a Fomantis, with the male sending out a Salandit. Brago glared down the two Pokémon, who both flinched as Intimidate hit them and lowered their attack.
"Yo, don't cower down like a Skitty, yo! Wreck their shit!" the female yelled at the two Pokémon, who both flinched again.
"Seriously, who are these clowns?" Jen asked, watching Team Skull with her wide bright purple eyes.
"Zzzt! They call themselvezz Team Skull. I call them free EXP!" Rotom declared from atop Sun's head, earning scowls from the two thugs.
"That's it! We're throwing down!" the male grunt bellowed, throwing out a hand. "Sweet Scent, yo!"
"Quick Attack on Fomantis!" Hau called out, with Duke nodding and sprinting towards the Sickle Grass Pokémon. The Fomantis had time to screech in surprise before Duke smashed into it, knocking it to the ground.
"Flame Charge on Fomantis!" Sun called out as the Sweet Scent filled the area, making Sun smile despite himself. It really did smell good! Regardless of that, Brago willed forth fire around himself and crashed into Fomantis, knocking it out.
"I call bullshit, yo! That's double-teaming!" the female Grunt nodded.
"Then what the hell do you call what you pricks did to me?! It was two-on-one the whole time!" Jen shouted at Team Skull, who both shrugged.
"We're not good with numbers." The male Grunt acknowledged, shrugging.
"Well, I'll educate you. One minus one is zero. Duke, Electro Ball!" Hau shouted, with the Pikachu leaping into the air with a cry. Duke whirled around in midair several times before launching a ball of electricity at the Salandit, who flew backwards with a hiss and hit the ground hard.
"Come on, yo! Get up!" the male Grunt yelled. The Salandit rose to its feet, only to see Brago glaring it down.
"Take Down!" Sun commanded the canine. Brago grinned and charged forward, his body glowing white before he slammed into Salandit with enough force to send it crashing into a rock, where it hung suspended before falling to the ground in heap. Brago winced as a small bolt of red energy suddenly flashed around him, recoil from the attack he had just used. Both Team SKull Grunts recalled their Pokémon.
"Agh! Are we headed to the grave, yo? Will our bones be laid bare, yo?" the male Team Skull Grunt asked, throwing down some money on the ground.
The female also threw down money, shaking her head. "The gloom that enfolds us like fog...we can't seem to shake it off."
"Well, maybe you guys should maybe stop being jerks? Seriously, that's just rude." Sun said to the two Grunts, who angrily pointed at him.
"Yo, step off! Enough with the beating up, yo!" the female Grunt barked, taking a step back.
"Yeah! We may not be trying to take over the world or nothing, but we're still hard as bone out here!" the other Grunt yelled, his face growing a bit red in anger.
"Right. Well, we beat you. Now go...do whatever it is you do when we beat you in a battle. I'm guessing practicing rap battles." Sun said to the two grunts, who both nodded.
"Yeah, you right." The female Grunt said with a shrug. Both of the gangsters bolted, sprinting down the path. Hau waved goodbye, a big grin on his face.
"See you on the flip side!" Hau yelled to them, earning two middle fingers as the two teens vanished from sight.
"Seriously...Those guys suck." Jen sighed as Sun turned and actually looked at the girl. She had long brown hair tied in a ponytail and had on a plain grey T-shirt and ripped blue jeans, a black backpack slung over her shoulders. She was probably only a year or two older than them. Hau took a moment to look over the girl before he shrugged.
"Cute, but...not my type." Hau thought after a moment, smirking. Regardless, the girl held out her Poké Ball and called out an unconscious Petilil.
"Any chance you guys have a Revive on you?" Jen asked, sounding a bit tired now that the excitement had died down. Hau handed the girl a Revive, which she used on her knocked out Pokémon. The Petilil's eyes snapped open and Jen broke out in a grin, hugging her Pokémon tightly.
"You're alright." The girl sighed with relief, picking up her Pokémon and turning around to face the boys. "Seriously, thanks you two. Like I said before, I'm Jen. This is my Partner, Petilil. Though we haven't been together all that long, heh."
"No problem. I'm Sun and this is Hau. And our teams." Sun said to the girl, offering her a small smile. Brago sat down at Sun's feet, his tail turned to Sun, grinning as Duke hopped onto Hau's shoulder.
"Man, Sun, when I fight with you...It's like even my Pokémon feel more at ease! You really are some kind of Trainer. That's it!" Hau exclaimed, surprising Sun and Jen. "I've just gotta give you something!"
Hau dug into his backpack and handed him a pack of what looked like vitamins. "This a Max Ether. Max Ethers will restore all the PP to one of your moves, you know? Pretty great, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks man." Sun said to his friend, grinning at him.
"H-hey, I hate to bug you guys, but I've got a quick question." Jen spoke up, earning a glance from the two boys. She seemed nervous, but continued anyway. " Are you guys going through the tunnel to battle Olivia in Konikoni City by any chance?"
"Yep. Why, you need any escort there or something?" Sun asked Jen, who nodded. Sun had figured that if the girl had struggled against Team Skull, she probably wasn't very strong.
"I was trying to head to Konikoni City to get home. Obviously that kinda didn't work. If it isn't too much trouble, I'd just appreciate a bit of backup in case those jerks show up again. I'm not really a Trainer, so if Team Skull shows up again, I'll kinda have a bad time." Jen admitted, sighing softly. "Petilil is pretty young, so she's not strong enough to stand up to Team Skull and just...please?"
"Sure. I don't see why not." Sun said with a shrug, with Hau nodding, but then frowning as he looked over at the exit of the cave that was nearby. Hau put a finger to his chin, in deep thought.
"What's up, man?" Sun asked his best friend, who grinned.
"I think you should go on without me. I've got to train some more so that I don't have a repeat performance against this Kahuna, you know?" Hau said to Sun with a wince. Sun understood Hau after a moment, realizing the other boy referencing his previous defeat against Hala.
"Sounds good. I'll get Jen home and then book us a room at the PMC." Sun said to his friend, who grinned at him in reply.
"Sounds like a plan. Now, I'm gonna have some more fun with those Diglett! See ya!" Hau said, bounding off with Cassy leaping onto the other boy's shoulders. Jen stifled a laugh as Hau face-planted thanks to the sudden shift in weight.
"I'm okay!"
"Right. Anyways, thanks for the assist. I appreciate it." Jen said gratefully, with her Petilil letting out a cry of agreement.
"No worries. Let's get out of this cave and get to where we need to be." Sun said to the girl, and with that the two continued onward and made their way out of the cave, though this time Sun couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.
As the boy and his newest and temporary companion exited the cave, a Heliolisk suddenly crawled into view and stood atop one of the many rocks in the cave, staring at the boy who was departing and then turned its gaze to Hau as he began to battle against the wildlife. The seemingly-normal Heliolisk tilted its head for a moment before it nodded, as if deciding something…
Before it flickered and was gone, not leaving a trace that it was ever there to begin with, except for the haunting laugh that rung throughout the cave long after the creature had vanished.
"Dawson, I said back off!"
"You should be in bed! Or in the infirmary!"
Amber continued to slowly make her way down the hallway, bracing herself against the wall as she progressed with Dawson leisurely following her. Walking was absolutely hell for her and Amber's vision was blurring slightly as she stumbled down the hall, but she damned if she'd be babied while there was important things going on that required her to at least be there.
Dawson rolled his eyes and, surprisingly, turned on his heels. "Whatever. If you need anything, crawl to the nearest break room. I'm going to catch up on 'Wheel of Calamity.'"
Amber stopped in her tracks, looking at him. "That show where people get routinely injured in a series of humiliating and implausible ways?"
"That's the one."
"Only sadistic retards watch that show, Dawson."
"...I don't see where you're going with this, Amber. Did you want to watch it with me?"
"Not just no. But hell no."
"Just checking. Stay sexy, ma'am. I'll be thinking of you." Dawson said with a wink before he walked down the hallway, barely dodging the throwing knife Amber hurled his way. Amber nearly fell to the ground, but caught herself.
"Can't wait until I'm good again. I hate this feeling. Being weak." Amber thought, gritting her teeth as she recalled memories she didn't want to ever think about again. On that merry note, Amber managed to make her way to the boardroom where most of their meetings took place and threw open the door, collapsing into a chair while Borlath watched in mild concern.
"You're stubborn. But I appreciate your support, Amber." Borlath said with a small smile, with Amber shutting her eyes and trying to recover from the ordeal of walking, hating every moment of it.
"When I'm recovered, I want you to promise me I'll be on the front lines of whatever the hell our next operation is. I hate that I'm sitting out of this one. I've wanted to slit Zoey's throat for ages now." Amber muttered to Borlath, who shook his head.
"For an emotionless killer, you're surprisingly petty." Borlath noted dryly, with Amber scowling at him with fury in her eyes.
"Getting off topic, here. I'm not staying out of this just because I'm not at my best." Amber shot back, with the black-haired Admin smirking in response.
"Amber, you shouldn't even be standing. Losing as much blood as you did almost killed you." Borlath replied, with the man glaring at the other Admin, who was smirking in amusement at him. Regardless he slumped back in his chair and looked out over the Celadon skyline, running a hand through his hair with a ragged sigh.
"So, your thoughts on this latest development? Team Rocket will gaining a lot more power in Kanto, thanks to our newest arrival." Amber asked as she glanced down at her right arm, which was wrapped up in a sling. The Admin moved with a grimace she shifted her sitting position. Even with the advanced medical equipment and practices at their disposal, the damage Amber had taken during the Vermilion City Gym raid was still severe. She was lucky to have not lost the use of her arm, considering how much damage Oliver had done to it with his modified sniper rounds. Regardless, despite several Heal Pulse treatments, she would be unable to use her arm for at least a few weeks, and was effectively barred from partaking in any active attacks or missions on Borlath's orders.
"My thoughts are inconsequential. It's happened. I'm going to have to live with the fact that someone I absolutely despise will be working with us from here on out." Borlath replied curtly, sitting himself up in his chair more properly.
"Fair enough. I'll be on standby, ready to slit his throat whenever." Amber remarked casually, with Borlath smiling at the thought.
"I'd rather do the deed myself. But again, I appreciate the support." Borlath said to Amber, who nodded in reply. The two Admins sat in silence for a while before the door opened and Grand Master Greevil walked into the room, looking likewise exhausted. He was followed by the cloaked Admin that Borlath still hadn't actually talked too or had seen the face of. It was eerie, but the man wore a balaclava and a hat that all but concealed his identity. All Borlath knew was that he hailed from Alola.
Still, apparently the man had made a recent and major discovery in the region and would be pursuing that discovery once their next big mission was done with. The Kanto Superdome attack would require all hands on deck, so to speak. Which was why this meeting was taking place.
"Borlath, you need a vacation." Greevil remarked as he hopped into his seat.
"Maybe. You're starting to look a bit ragged yourself, Greevil." Borlath remarked, taking note that the man had rings around his eyes and seemed unwell in general, his usual aura of arrogance seemed diminished somewhat. Greevil's usual smirk slipped away, and Borlath saw a rare glimpse of the old man that the Grand Master of Cipher really was.
When Greevil responded, his words were subdued. "Today was Eldes' birthday. I...haven't been able to stop thinking about them both all day. My sons. It's times like this I am reminded that for all of my pursuits and power, I was never the best father to my children. I have few regrets in my long, long life, Borlath. Wealth, power, control over the fates of thousands of people. I've had it all...But one of my biggest regrets is that I ever exposed my boys to the dark world we chose to create. There's so much I could have done differently with them. Maybe I could have stopped when Cipher was run out of Oore by that child. Maybe I could have called it quits when our plans in Sinnoh fell through. Sending both of them to Unova while Wes was on the warpath, thinking they could end that fool once and for all."
"So many maybes...And here I am, looking back at them all with some regrets. I despise the weakness that I'm showing, even now, but at the same time I cannot forget them today. The chances that I'll find them alive decreases every moment, and it makes my heart...break. Does that make sense to you?" Greevil asked quietly, his voice filled with a deep sorrow that made Borlath feel sorry for the older man. The fate of Eldes and Ardos, the two sons of the Greevil, were unknown to the older man. Both had vanished in Unova after battling with Wes some time ago. One had been lost to the Passage of Time, and had not been seen since. As for the other...well, Greevil didn't need to know exactly how he had perished.
Borlath nodded slowly in response, acknowledging Greevil's words. "It's not usually until those we love are gone that we truly miss them. When I lost my family, I didn't know how I would go on. You've managed well thus far, Grand Master. Don't fail us now, when we are relying on you the most."
Greevil smiled slightly, crossing his arms. "Odd that you try and bring this selfish old man comfort, Borlath. I know you hate me."
Borlath grinned at the older man, slouching somewhat in his chair as his eyes flickered from blue and gold to two crimson orbs. "That may be. But I know what it's like to lose those you hold dear to you. My motivations for joining Cipher may not be as selfish as the other Admins, but I'll die before I allow Cipher to falter at this stage. I need you and you need me. We're useful to each other. And that means I need you to be at your best. Especially if we're to succeed at this gamble you've placed us in."
"Yes, yes." Greevil agreed, nodding. "Our next operation will be immensely important and must go as planned. Perfectly, with no slip ups. A show of force that will bring the League to its knees, and show the world that Cipher cannot be stopped now. Especially thanks to our newest ally joining the ranks of Team Rocket. Speaking of, they should be coming up here any moment now." Greevil explained to the other man, who simply nodded. As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.
"Enter!" Greevil commanded, with the door opening and two Team Rocket Executives walking into the room wearing matching smiles. One of them was a tall and slim man with blue hair wearing the standard Team Rocket uniform, a rash and violent man known as Proton. The other was a woman with fiery red hair, wearing a stylized white dress, who was the third-in-command of Team Rocket, Ariana.
"Grand Master Greevil...Senior Admin Borlath...Admin Amber. Please, allow us to introduce your newest ally and a man we all have been searching a very long time for. A man who we remain loyal to just as much today as we did ten years ago when Team Rocket fell here in Kanto." Ariana said before she and Proton opened the doors widely, allowing a man to enter the room.
The man was mostly dressed in a rather worn black trench coat, carrying a battered briefcase with him. Six Ultra Balls were clipped to his waist on a belt, with the man wearing a black turtleneck sweater underneath and a black fedora on his head. His pale face seemed to be chiseled out of granite, as if he had become hardened to the suffering of the world, and had jet-black hair and hard black eyes, like coals, except for the gleam of malice that shone within them.
The man brushed past the two Executives and made his way to the other side of the table, walking past the cloaked Cipher Admin and sitting down at the table. Proton and Arianna took up positions behind the man, acting as his guard and not sitting down themselves. Borlath stared at the man with a frown on his face while Amber sized the new arrival up. Greevil, however, was the first to speak in the silence that follow the man's interest.
"Would you like something to drink? You've come far, and I have come to understand you've been away from the comforts of civilized society for a very long time." Greevil asked the man, who smirked and spoke, his voice smooth yet holding an undercurrent of authority.
"I'll save that for after this meeting. I quite wish to see what the fuss with Cipher is all about. My Executives have had a lot to say about you, telling me that they only tracked me down thanks to your efforts." The man said, taking off his hat and setting it down on the table before continuing.
"Greevil, you have formed and led a group that has done what no other in the history of our world has done before - Completely dominated a region and kept hold of that power indefinitely. Unova is powerless before Neo Team Plasma, thanks to your maneuvering, and Kanto is struggling against the might of Cipher and Team Rocket."
The man turned to Borlath, his smile widening. "And you...The man who goes by Borlath. I'd say you were just as instrumental in Cipher's success as Greevil himself. Financing a revolution of the darkest kind and annihilating an entire city populated by millions. Bringing down a truly fearsome foe by breaking his will, and betraying all of your friends in the pursuit of your own agenda...As daresay you're more of a murderous bastard than I am."
Borlath's scowl was enough to drop the temperature several degrees in the room as he said, "I am nothing like you. Even if my methods have questionable results, I will never consider myself anything like you and Greevil."
Greevil rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Now, now, children. Play nice. Giovanni hasn't come all this way to trade wordplay. We came to discuss business. Ending lives, establishing power, and dismantling the Pokémon League so that we may rule Kanto with an iron fist."
Giovanni chuckled darkly, leaning forward in his chair as his calculating eyes gleamed. The former leader of Team Rocket and Viridian City Gym Leader smirked as he regarded the three Admins and Grand Master in the room with him.
"So what are you here for, exactly?" Amber asked, breaking the silence. "I mean, you're strong. And capable. But what is your goal here, Giovanni?"
The man's response was a light chuckle, leaning back in his chair. "I have heard of you as well, Miss Fontaine. Had you been in my employ several years ago, Team Rocket might not have been toppled by a mere child."
"Speaking of that child, he's thankfully not active in the Kanto region right now. Nor is his equally-annoying friend. It's the only reason we're going ahead with Operation: Kingslayer right now." Borlath remarked, his frown lessening for a moment. "But continue."
Giovanni gestured to Proton and Arianna before speaking again. "The reason I have come to this ruined city, into the Beedrill's nest as it were...is to reclaim my position as the leader of Team Rocket. The group has done well in my absence, and seeing as how Cipher is on the cusp of world domination I would have been a fool to ignore the signs. My own strength has increased as well, and everything has moved into the perfect position for me to take back my former mantle." Giovanni said smoothly, with Greevil smiling at that.
"Interesting. Your underlings would accept your leadership without question?" Greevil asked, with Giovanni nodding. Proton and Ariana both nodded in agreement.
"All of Team Rocket is loyal to Lord Giovanni. We'll happily step aside and allow him to take the reins." Ariana said swiftly, her smile not wavering in the slightest.
"I can't wait to see the look on their faces." Proton said quietly, murderous glee evident in his voice.
"Hmm. Well, if that's the case, this we welcome you into our fold here at Cipher, Giovanni. You'll be given command over some of our forces that work in conjunction with Team Rocket, and of course over the Team Rocket forces themselves. I believe together we'll be able to make Kanto, as well as the rest of the world, tremble at our feet!" Greevil said with a dark laugh, bridging his fingers while Borlath watched on silently.
"That we will. Tell me, though...What are your plans for the Kanto Superdome? My Executives have told me about the personnel and resources you've been pooling into a massive attack on the stadium. A concert happening at the location, I believe. What is the point of this?" Giovanni asked, his calculating eyes gleaming with interest.
Greevil went on to explain their plan in-depth, with Amber watching from her the entire time. She could almost feel the power and respect the leader of Team Rocket possessed, but couldn't help a dull smile of amusement as she saw both Greevil and Giovanni shake hands, sealing their pact.
"They're overconfident. I understand why, but even I'm wary of the plan Greevil has in store for us." Amber thought as she shut her eyes, glancing down at her mutilated arm in distaste before she clenched her other fist. She need her arm to heal, and quickly too.
Because if those fools thought the Kanto Pokémon League wouldn't fight for all they were worth, then they were wrong.
Next chapter is going to be very, very fun. So will the next one. Chapter 66 is going to be absolutely glorious. You'll find out why next week with Chapter 65.
Also, no. Jen is not a love interest rival or anything like that for Sun or Hau or Gladion, before anyone asks or brings it up. I like my pairings for those characters way too much for that love triangle nonsense and there's enough going on as is. Jen's just a new minor character I made for...reasons that will become apparent at some point.
Q & A
From: Sai Og Sus
And a deeper dive in Aether's history. You know, it does raise a question. If Mohn is regarded as a hero, why on earth not one person realize that the farmer on Poké Pélago is him? Or does the pélago not exist in your tale?
People don't recognize the creator of the Poké Pélago as Mohn for the same reason Lusamine nor any of the Aether Foundation didn't make the connection either (which has always bothered me) when they heard about him. I'm just assuming that he was presumed dead after vanishing, and he has probably changed in appearance over the course of a few years living in the isolated islands just off of the main islands in Alola. I don't think anyone would recognize him as Mohn, and he certainly doesn't remember who he is, so that doesn't help. If anyone did recognize him, he'd likely tell them that they're mistaken.
Mohn will definitely make an appearance in some capacity, and the Poké Pélago does exist. I just haven't gotten to it yet. It'll be covered in the next arc to some extent, I assure you.
From: Sai Og Sus
Also, the Cipher is here already? That's earlier than I expected. Then again, Ula Ula is mostly centered on the Skulls.
I established Cipher being in Alola several chapters ago. They have a base on Ula'ula Island somewhere and have a small amount of their forces in Alola, because Greevil thinks that Alola won't take much effort to take over. He also has his newest, as of yet unnamed, Admin in charge of the Alola operation.
From: OmegaStar327
Now, onto my question. Will Sun catch another Pokemon before the next island?
Yes. Sun will be catching his fourth teammate before leaving for the Aether Paradise.
As for your complaint about not recognizing the point of Cipher's inclusion in the story, I actually thought I had stated it before. Regardless…
Cipher's inclusion in the story was done for several reasons. Some of which I won't reveal for some time. But the primary reason was because Sun and Moon have no central conflict or clear antagonists, like every other game in the series before them. An objectively bad group of people that you battle throughout the game.
Team Skull isn't a threat at all, and the Aether Foundation isn't a threat until the end of the game and aren't actually threatening much of anything, its just what they're capable of that is worrying. Also, they're actively helping Pokémon the entire time in the games, for the most part anyway. I needed a reason for there to be some kind of struggle over the course of the first three islands, some kind of fight in this story to carry the plot. Hence Cipher, and the world I created with its cast of characters, villains, and themes that makes this story stand out from the dozens of other Sun and Moon novelizations.
I hope that explains things. If not...Well, I'm sorry.
From: Okamiden14
Same as usual, amazing chapter. Do you plan on adding any new mons to sun's team in the near future? Or is a new addition to the cast gonna be at thing later on in the story?
In the very near future. Sun will be getting his next Pokémon within the next two months real time. I've tried to spread out Sun's team additions over the course of the story so that they're spaced out and even, and considering this story will take several years to tell properly, I think it's smarter to do this. Sun will have a full team by the time he battles Team Skull in Po Town.
That's all for now. The next couple of chapters are gonna be very, very fun.
Please show your support with reviews, favorites, follows, and questions. Thank you again for the love and support because it seriously makes my day and makes this strong grow.
Take care and stay awesome.
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
